Warm Fuzzy Random

Commercials that make people say ‘What the heck?’ with a massive smile on their face are in full swing.

Kia is one of the fastest growing car brands in North America for so many obvious reasons – their commercials is one of them.

via Autoblog

Chat with Your Target Market

Last night at Pereira PR’s PR meet up we were graced with the honour of having 3 sweet speakers: Jenn from 6S Marketing, Curt from BIV, and Raul from Hummingbird 604.  For 2 hours, the speakers dished out precious info and our PR sponge brains ate it up.  Nom nom nom.

Raul kept bringing it up KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. He has one of the biggest blogs in BC, and gets pitched the most random stupid things all the time because PR people don’t pay attention that his blog wouldn’t suit their audience.  Raul believes PR people would do a much better job producing results for clients if they focused on their clients’ audience vs. just being pitching whores to anyone with a media outlet.  Mmhmm!  Point taken.

And Jenn pointed out the power of relationships, you know, since it’s called SOCIAL media and all, not SPAM media.  This is big time emphasized in Shane and Stephen’s new book Sociable! which I’m reading and highly recommend. Don’t just promote – converse.

Social media and blogging are still on the upswing big time: master them before the masses and their granny surpass you by sticking to the genuine basics.

top pic: Nicole Hall, Curt Cherewayko, Sara Pereira & Tara Padidar
photo by Peyvand Padidar

Get Your SEO On!!

Most companies have still not maximized their websites to be found by search engines.  My friend Carlos of Bloom Marketing – a local SEO firm that everyone I refer to is very very happy with – says that he thinks less than 20% of companies use search engine optimization as a marketing tool.

Carlos says the other big mistake companies make is they try and use their internal, existing marketing terms for SEO.  So, Johnny’s Kayaks (made up name – I hope) in Revelstoke BC would bank on key words like ‘Johnny’s Kayaks in Revelstoke’, when what they should be doing is optimizing words the way people think, ie: ‘Kayak rentals british columbia’, ‘outdoor adventure kootenays’ ‘whitewater rafting Canada’, etc..

And instead of having an SEO peeing contest with your nearest competitor about who’s higher on Google, try and think of what other words people ponder when they need a company like yours.  That is where all the hidden gold is online.

Eskimo roll pic: Wavelength Magazine

Hot Pot Pole

Nice one McDonald’s.  I wonder what would be more effective: random light posts scattered all over the city, or dominating an entire block.  This is a solid “why didn’t I think of that?” campaign by the fine folks at Cosette.

via Vancity Buzz

Bloggin with the Squad

I’m one of a handful of Vancouver bloggers that will be part of the Metro-Blenz News Squad.  Blenz Coffee and Metro Newspaper joined forces to have a team of bloggers blogging about the pulse of the city during the Olympics.

Watch for some of our posts printed in Metro and on digital screens in Blenz Coffee shops!  Also check our tweets through the #MBNS hashtag.

Image: MBNS home page

Blo Knows Prom Promos

I was LOLing last night at this funny promo in Blo’s window.  The blow dry bar’s contest is a chance for grade 12 girls to get all souped up for free on grad night.

Submitted photos will attract the attention of the media, teen and fashion bloggers, and Blo will see their biggest jump ever in pre-prom hair coifs.

Join the Blo Honour Roll Facebook page and watch their blog for the flyest young ladies in the land.  No wonder Blo is on fire, getting hordes of stories and opening more locations. Follow them.

Jammies Ban Gets Buzz

UK mega grocery chain Tesco banned people from shopping in pyjamas and house coats.  Great move, but ONLY because it’s controversial.

Business will jump as this new policy to keep the sleepy riff raff out is getting a ton of hits.

Obviously the woman who was turned down, even though she was “just poppin in for a pack of fags” is livid.

K so that’s the exact quote the media eats up for this kind of story.

via BoingBoing

Capture The Flag

Mini Yaletown opens their stunning new location at 1039 Hamilton on Monday.  It will really help drive traffic to that block.

The joke in Yaletown right now is how often the dozens of flag stickers, glued to the sidewalk to woo the Olympic crowd, go missing.  Usually they’re ripped off by a drunk dude stumbling home who realizes he needs some random country’s flag.

Well a British flag has been placed in front of the doors at Mini’s new location, and it’s off the path of where they’re supposed to be placed.  Brilliant (British adjective).  It’s the little things.

Promote The Climax

This bus stop ad makes all of us want to go to India now. The percentage of people that will see a tiger fight is tiny, but it’s possible!

Anyone can advertise a beach, hot people or a fancy hotel.  Incredible India hits it out of the park with what travelers really seek.

This Ad is Better than Your Better

You’ve probably seen this Nike ad. And this one.
Just a reminder that your brand evoking emotion is 100x more important than listing your features and benefits.